Quite awhile ago, I was asking on the forum about my C3 stalling when I'd let off the accelerator and had been focused on fuel issues. Some folks on the forum had suggested that it was an ignition problem and I finally got around to checking on that. I was more than a little shocked when I took the rotor off.

As for the coil, it seemed to pass the ohm-meter tests but I don't know about those damaged areas - will just replace the coil as well.

 

Did you remove the weight return springs before taking this picture?

 

Looks like the coil needs a new distributor to attach too.

 

no I did not. I've not found them yet. I'm going to investigate more today. I'm ordering parts from summit racing - the pickup, the advance kit, coil, etc. just ac-delco.

 

Time for a new distributor

 

Yup. Get a whole new unit. Cheaper and already curved.

 

thank you for the suggestion - as I've researched more, I see that a completely new unit is probably the easier way to go.

 

I figured I'd provide an update: I mentioned I was going to go with AC-Delco for a replacement but actually, I bought the Accel replacement that also included the coil from Summit Racing. It was the cheapest except for some unknown brands on Rock Auto and some other sites.
Many videos said it would drop in fairly easily but it certainly needed a bit of jiggling around to get it to drop in that last little bit - but it did.
I marked the orientation of the old distributor housing and the rotor and had plenty of pictures to reference and put it back, as near as I could tell, exactly where it was. However, I start the car and it runs just a little better but stalls when I let off the gas. I think, oh no, that did not work. I don't have a timing light but I figured I might as well try to move adjust it and see what happens. I moved it a few degrees clockwise and start the car and it runs really quite well so I'm really happy. It was cold so the choke was causing it to rev but at least it stayed running. Once it warmed up and the choke opened, the RPM's dropped and the car still did not stall. It was not running great but at least it was running. At this point, the distributor is clearly not oriented as it was according to my marks and pictures. The next day, I figure, it won't hurt to try to adjust it a little more before I take it in for an inspection so I turn it a few more degrees - at this point, I'm running into the limits of the vacuum tube attached to the vacuum advance and can't really turn it any more. Fire the car up, it runs perfectly - nice and smooth. Let it warm up, the RPMs drop and the car runs perfectly - still smooth. Maybe smoother than it ever was, I'm not sure.
I'm really happy at this point because after a year and half, I can finally get it inspected and re-registered and back on the road. I dropped it off at the mechanic - it made the trip there easily.
Of course, I had some other things to fix that had always worked and I have a couple remaining questions I'll post to the forum.
The interior lights stopped working - they had worked fine all along. Turns out the fuse burnt out. I replaced that and all was well.
The horns have always worked but, nope, they stopped as well. Seems they forgot how to work. I eventually got one working (both had power at the horn itself) and that's good enough to get it inpected.
Headlight actuators probably need to be rebuilt but I can do that at my leisure now.
Thanks everyone for the helpful feedback.

 

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